There are many products and services available for providing audio-visual (AV) content such as music tracks or albums, other sound recordings, video clips, and the like to consumers. Such products and services can include codes for accessing and/or downloading music files via the internet or other computer-accessible sources. Such codes can be provided in various forms, such as alphanumeric strings or sequences of characters, scannable codes such as bar codes or quick response codes (also known as QR Codes™) and the like. Codes or controlled access to AV content can also be provided in the form of gift cards that may include a predetermined amount of credit that can control the amount of AV content that can be accessed using the gift card. Such gift cards may be provided with a particular monetary value, similar to conventional gift cards or certificates that may be redeemable by various retailers.
Such codes or gift cards are often generic in nature, and allow limited access to or downloading of any AV content (e.g., single-use), or AV content within a particular category (e.g., songs by a particular artist). Some codes may be configured to allow access to a particular song or album, e.g., as a means for music distribution or advertising of a particular song or artist. Often, the AV content made accessible by the code or gift card is unrelated to the form that the code or gift card is provided in (e.g., a plastic card or a code printed on a product such as a label or bottle cap). Further, because access to the AV material may be restricted or unavailable prior to redemption, the purchaser may not be familiar with the particular AV content being purchased or given as a gift.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system and method that provides purchase of, or controlled or limited access to, AV content that relates to and/or accompanies a particular product or item, and further allows such content to be previewed prior to purchase.